Araz News: Today, 24th of  June 2015, is birthday of former Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey, one of the leaders of National Freedom Movement.

Abulfaz Aliyev Gadirgulu (Elchibey) was born on June 24, 1938, in the small town of Keleki in Ordubad District. In 1957, he graduated from the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Azerbaijan State University. He worked as a translator in Egypt for a while, after returning to Baku worked as a teacher at Azerbaijan State University. He was arrested for anti-Soviet activities in 1975-1976. After release, he worked at the Institute of Manuscripts of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. He was one of the leaders of the national movement in Azerbaijan in 1988 and one of the founders of Azerbaijan People’s Front.

A year after he was elected president in 1992, Elchibey left Baku for Keleki due to a revolt in Ganja. Later on, Elchibey’s powers were terminated with the decision of the Milli Majlis, and he resumed his activities as the chairman of the Azerbaijan People’s Front Party.

After a long-lasting severe illness, Elchibey died at Turkey’s Ankara State Hospital on August 22, 2000 and was laid to rest in the Alley of Honors in Baku.

Reprinted from apa